Chapter 210: The Forgetfulness Curse is Real
Chapter 210: The Forgetfulness Curse is Real
The Grey family was simultaneously shocked, and Fiona and Wade exchanged a glance.
Ferdinand's face turned grim, and he tightened his grip on the palm of his hand.
After a few seconds, he asked in a low voice, "What's going on?... Why did you suddenly ask this?"
Landon sat on the sofa, hugging his head. After a long while, he said, "Do you know why we sold all our property and moved to the United States last year?"
"I remember... you said it was because your wife's uncle in the United States passed away... He left all his property to you..."
Ferdinand did not continue. Now it seemed that what Landon's family had said at the time were obviously lies.
"I'm sorry, I deceived you."
Landon said dejectedly: "There was no inheritance... The reason we moved was because Carrill received a letter... an acceptance letter..."
"Acceptance letter!"
Fiona exclaimed. After the others looked at her, she quickly added, "What kind of notice would make your whole family move from the UK?"
Landon smiled bitterly, "It's a... acceptance letter from a magic school... I think it's called Hogwarts..."
The expressions of Wade and the others changed to varying degrees, but Landon didn't notice. He was immersed in telling his story—
About a year and a half ago, one morning, Carrill found a strange letter in the family mailbox, an acceptance letter from a place calling itself 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'.
There was no stamp on the envelope, and no one knew how the letter had been delivered. Usually, one would think that someone had secretly stuffed it into their mailbox during the night.
In Landon's opinion, even though the letter stated that a professor from the school would visit in two days to explain the admission details, it was definitely a scam or some novel marketing ploy, waiting for someone gullible enough to take the bait.
That was what he thought, and he also advised his family to ignore it. However, Carrill had a different opinion.
The eleven-year-old boy took the acceptance letter and ran off to brag to his friends—he was special! He was about to become a powerful wizard! Naturally, the children mocked his wild imagination, and he paid no heed to their reactions.
But that evening, a man wearing a black robe knocked on the Johnsons' door.
"He said magic was real," Landon said in a daze, as if still immersed in the shock of that moment. "He demonstrated extraordinary abilities before our very eyes... Without any props, he made us float in the air. He even turned our tea table into a spider..."
"And then?" Ferdinand asked. "Did he say he was a professor from Hogwarts? Here to prove the existence of magic to you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he realized his mistake.
If that were the case, Landon's family wouldn't have fled Britain in such a hurry.
Sure enough, Landon shook his head.
"No... He said... He said magic was real, but Hogwarts was not just a school... It was a base for training soldiers and brainwashing young witches and wizards..."
Wade's expression turned peculiar.
Who was this person? His way of thinking was so similar to Fudge's.
If the Minister of Magic were to hear these words, he would surely consider this person a kindred spirit?
"And then? What else did he say?" Ferdinand pressed.
"He said..."
Landon struggled to recall those words that had changed his family's lives.
"Hogwarts is not as wonderful as you might imagine. It's not just a place for learning magic, but also a base for training soldiers. All young witches and wizards undergo a form of indoctrination there."
"At the same time, Hogwarts also adheres to a survival-of-the-fittest philosophy. If you're not strong enough, and even if you're killed by your classmates, no one will hold them accountable.
The man in the black robe looked at Carrill with pitying eyes.
"I think you'll understand that for a child like you, who has had absolutely no exposure to magic, attending that school and facing students from wizarding families who have been practicing magic since childhood puts you at a significant disadvantage."
"Children born to non-magical families are called 'Mudbloods' there, implying that they are as lowly as mud and can be trampled on without consequence."
"So, Muggle-born students are the ones who get bullied by everyone at school. Usually, not even one in ten makes it to graduation alive."
"Then... what can we do?" Mrs. Johnson exclaimed in panic as she hugged her son tightly. "Can't we just not go to that school?"
The man in the black robe shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Hogwarts doesn't allow any gifted young wizard to be left unattended—even if they are Mudbloods. If you refuse, the professors from the school will take Carrill away by force, and they will make you forget he ever existed."
In his panic, Landon couldn't think of the inconsistencies in what he was being told. Instead, he desperately pleaded, clutching at this seemingly life-saving straw:
"You're a wizard too; you must have a way to save us, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have shown up to tell us all this!"
"Of course," the man in the black robe said, a mysterious smile playing at his lips. "I am here to save you—that is precisely why I have come."
"You must remember that the only thing a magic school fears is another magic school!"
"Just reply to Hogwarts, saying that your whole family is preparing to move to the United States, and Carrill will be attending Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry there. Naturally, Hogwarts will back down. They won't go to war with Ilvermorny over a mere Mudblood."
"Will... will that be enough?" Mrs. Johnson asked anxiously.
"Of course not!" the man exclaimed. "When you say you're moving to the United States, you must actually do so, and quickly! If you're still in Britain by the start of the school year, Hogwarts will definitely find out! By then, there will be nothing that can be done to save you!"
"Then... does Carrill really have to go to... Ilvermorny?" Landon asked.
The man in the black robe shook his head. "Ilvermorny is no different from Hogwarts... It's best if you change your identities and disappear, never to be found. Carrill must also hide his talents and live as an ordinary person; that is the safest option."
"But I don't want to hide!" Carrill exclaimed, his fists clenched tightly. "I have the talent for wizardry; why should I live as an ordinary person? If I can't go to a magic school, can't I... can't I learn magic from you instead?"
"Carrill!" Landon interrupted, trying to stop him.
But the man in the black robe said, "You can, of course... Why not? I used to be just like you... Thankfully, my mentor took pity on me, and that's how I became who I am today..."
"But, my child, this path is not an easy one. It will put you at odds with all the major magic schools. If you join me, you will face countless powerful enemies in the future. Are you truly prepared for that?"
No hot-blooded youth could resist such goading, along with the allure of being "different."
And Carrill was no exception.
"As soon as we got off the plane, the man in the black robe appeared. He was with an old witch, and they took Carrill away."
Landon covered his face, his voice filled with pain. "After that, Carrill never came back, not even a single letter... I realized we might have been deceived, but there was nothing I could do..."
"My wife and I tried to find out about Hogwarts, Ilvermorny, magic schools... No one could give us any answers. Then, one day, Annie forgot everything..."
"The Forgetfulness Curse is real... She forgot about magic schools, and even forgot that we had a son..."
(End of Chapter)
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